Northrop Grumman tests prototype antenna for Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar active electronic scanned array

BALTIMORE, Md., 29 Oct. 2009. Northrop Grumman executives have tested a prototype partial array antenna to be developed as the U.S. Marine Corps' new Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) active electronic scanned array (AESA).

All objectives were met without incident at the Connecticut test range, explains a Northrop Grumman representative. Company officials are optimistic that the tests will lead to the next stage in the process: constructing the flexible G/ATOR system as it is integrated with additional subsystems at the company's Electronic Systems Baltimore headquarters, while a second prototype is readied for testing by the end of the year.

The technology, described as "highly mobile," is expected to replace or reinforce five out of six of the Marine Corps' ground radar, reducing maintenance costs and operational time. The associated AESA consists of a network of modules capable of transmitting and receiving signals and feeding the information into the G/ATOR, enabling it to assess and engage targets in a wide range of positions and trajectories.

Pat Newby, vice president of weapons and sensors for Northrop Grumman's Land Forces Division, says: "G/ATOR's true multi-mission capabilities will change the way the Marines fight and win. The results from the radar array tests provide a high degree of confidence that the array design will meet or exceed all system performance requirements."

The company's AN/APG-81 system is integral to the Joint Strike Fighter's F-35 sensor suite.